Freight car



Feb. 26, 1952 H. BLACK 2,587,027

FREIGHT CAR Filed Oct. 14, 1948 I 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 45 INVENTOR.

36 HENRY BLACK H.-BLACK FREIGHT CAR Feb. 26, 1952 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 FiledOct. 14, 1948 INVENTOR. HEN RY BLACK Feb. 26, 1952 H. BLACK 2,587,027

FREIGHT CAR Filed Oct. 14, 1948 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 I l I INVENTOR.

A HENRY BLACK AY'PAEA/Ey H. BLACK FREIGHT CAR Feb. 26, 1952 4Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Oct. 14, 1948 INVENTOR. HE NRY BLACK BY WIFE/Y6)Patented Feb. 26, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FREIGHT CAR HenryBlack, Bronx, N. Y.

Application October 14, 1948, Serial No. 54,550

8 Claims. 1

This invention relates to railroad rolling stock, and more particularly,to new and useful improvements in a railroad box car.

The present invention proposes the construction of an improved railroadbox car of the closed, and if desired, of the refrigerated type,particularly adapted for the quick and convenient loading of merchandiseand the compact and safe storage of the same en route, and the equallyeasy and expeditious unloading at the delivery point. The advantages areof particular importance in the handling of merchandise in the fruit andvegetable industry where loose storage in the box car results in damagecaused by car joltings and where, in an attempt to minimize this damagethe merchandise has often been forced into the box car under suchcompression that damage from crushing frequently results.

More particularly, the present invention relates to the construction ofa box car having a roof formed of pivotally mounted longitudinal roofsections arranged in a manner so that the sections may be quickly andeasily pivoted to an'open position permitting the box car to be loadedby a derrick through the open top.

Another object of the present invention proposes adjustably supportinglaterally extending partition walls from the roof sections in a mannerso that the partition walls may be moved longitudinally of the box cartowards the ends thereof to divide the load into separate compactsections limiting movement thereof under the effect of sudden stops andstarts and other longitu dinal joltings of the car.

Still further, the present invention proposes releasably connecting thepartition walls to the roof sections so that they may be quickly andeasily disconnected from the roof sections in a manner to permit theroof sections to be pivoted to their open positions when desired.

Another object of the present invention proposes forming the roofsections so that their adjacent edges will be spaced in the closedpositions thereof forming an elongated opening through which one mayreach in a manner to facilitate the connecting and disconnecting of thepartition walls with the roof sections.

A further object of the present invention proposes the provision of amovable cover for closing the opening between the adjacent edges of theroof sections in a .manner to prevent water from rain and the like, fromentering the box car through the opening,

It is furthr proposed to provide the sides of the box car with openingsthrough which the space between the adjacent partition walls at thecenter of the box car may be filled after the roof sections have beenclosed and the partition walls moved longitudinally for compacting themerchandise placed into the box car through the open top.

The present invention further includes slidably mounted doors forclosing the open sides of the box car and an arrangement for releasingthe doors from their sliding connection with the box car in a manner tofacilitate removal of the doors from the box car when desired.

It is a still further object of the present invention to construct a boxcar which is simple and durable and which can be manufactured and soldat a reasonable cost.

For further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects andadvantages thereof, reference will be had to the following descriptionand accompanying drawings, and to the appended claims in which thevarious novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawings forming a material part of this disclosure:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a railroad box car constructed inaccordance with the present invention.

Fig. 2 is an end elevational view of Fig. 1 looking in the direction ofthe line 2--2.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged transverse vertical sectional view taken on theline 44 of Fig. 1, and having one of the roof sections pivoted to apartially open position.

Fig. 5 is a partial longitudinal vertical sectional view taken on theline 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a partial transverse horizontal sectional view taken on theline 6-6 of Fig. 4.

Fig. '7 is an enlarged detailed view of a portion of Fig. 1.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the upper corner of one of the doors andthe upper corner of the adjacent door receiving member, per se.

Fig. 9 is an enlarged detailed view of another portion of Fig. 1 havinga portion thereof broken away to reveal interior construction.

Fig. 10 is a perspective view of the inner end of one of the lowertracks per se.

Fig. 11 is an enlarged detailed view of a portion of Fig. 2.

Fig. 12 is a perspective view of the support, per se, for the free endof one of the rack bars.

Fig. 13 is an enlarged detailed view of a portion of Fig. 4.

Fig. 13A is an enlarged partial vertical sectional view taken on theline l3A-I3A of Fig. 13.

Fig. 14 is a perspective view of one of the clamp members, per se.

Fig. 15 is an enlarged side elevational view similar to Fig. 1, but withthe foremost side wall broken away.

The railroad box car, in accordance with the present invention, includesa car body having the usual frame constructed of beams, which areI-shaped in cross-section, and which supports the usual end walls 2 I,side walls 22 and bottom wall 23. The bottom of the box car is providedwith the usual wheels 24 supported in carriages 25 attached to the boxcar so that the car may roll on the usual tracks 23, see Figs. 1 and 2.The carriages 25 are pivotally mounted on the bottom of the car to swingin a horizontal plane, as is generally known in the art to which thepresent invention pertains, to permit the car to go around curves in thetracks 26. The ends of the box car are provided with the usual couplings2! which permit adjacent cars to be connected together in tandem as isgenerally known in the art. Further details of the above enumeratedparts will not be given in this specification as such details aregenerally known by those skilled in the art and further, form no part ofthe present invention.

The top of the box car is open and closed against the damaging effectsof inclement weather by a roof 28 formed of adjacent pivotally mountedlongitudinal roof sections 29. Th outer edges of the roof sections 29are pivotally attached to the frame 20 by means of hinges 39, see Figs.4 and 5. Each hinge 30 has one of its leaves attached to the frame 29and the other of its leaves attached to the adjacent portion of therespective roof section 29. Thus, the roof sections 29 may be pivoted toopen positions until the marginal edges of the roof sections, beyond thehinges 39, abut the outside face of the side walls 22 of the box car. Apartially open position of the one of the roof sections 29 isillustrated in Fig. 4.

In their closed positions, the roof sections 29 have their adjacentedges spaced forming an elongated opening 3|, see Fig. 11, between theadjacent edges of the roof sections 29. The edge portions 29 at theinner edges of the roof sections 29, are turned upwards. A cover 32 isarranged to be nested over the upturned edge portions 29*- of the roofsections 29 to close the elongated opening 3| between the adjacent edgesof the roof sections. The side edge portions 32 of the cover 32 areturned downwards and outwards and cooperate with the upturned edges 29of the roof sections 29 to prevent water from seeping into the interiorof the box car at the overlapped edges of the roof sections 29 and thecover 32.

Means is provided for vertically slidably and pivotally connecting thecover 32 to one of the roof sections 29 so that the cover 32 may beraised and pivoted to an inoperative position to one side of theelongated opening 3! and rested on one of the roof sections 29 so as notto interfere with the pivoting of the roof sections 29 to their openpositions. This means comprises end walls 33 formed on the ends of thecover 32 and whichdepend downwards along the ends of the roof sections29. Outwardly extending pins 34 project from the ends of one of the roofsections 29 and engage vertically arranged elongated slots 35 formed inthe adjacent portions of the (iii end walls 33 of the cover 32. The pinand slot arrangement permits the cover 32 to be raised vertically untilthe pins 34 are located in the bottom ends of the slots 35 after whichthe cover 32 may be pivoted in a direction to overlie the roof section29 provided with the pins 34. In this inoperative position, the roofsections 29 may be freely pivoted to their open positions.

On opposite sides of the longitudinal center of the box car there isprovided groups of partition walls 36 which extend laterally oi the boxcar. On the drawings, these groups are illustrated as comprising threepartition walls, but this is by way of illustration only as the groupsmay include more or less than three partition walls 36, as desired.

Each of the roof sections 29 is provided with a longitudinally extendingscrew 31 which is rotativelysupported in hangers 38 securely attached toand depended from brackets 39 mounted on the inside faces of the topwalls of the roof sections 29. The ends of the screws 31 project fromthe ends of the roof sections 29 and are provided with hand wheels 40 bywhich the screws 31 may be conveniently rotated in one direction or theother. At the points where the ends of the screws 3'! project from theend walls of the roof sections 29, there are mounted reenforcementplates 41 formed with tubular bearings 42 through which the ends of thescrews 31 rotatively extend. Bushings 43, see Fig. 5, are secured to thescrews 37 by set screws 44. The bushings 43 are located at the ends ofthe hangers 38 to prevent longitudinal sliding of the. screws 31 in thehangers while leaving them free for relative rotational movements.

Means is provided for releasably connecting the partition walls 33 ofeach group with their respective screws 37 for causing the partitions tobe moved longitudinally in one direction or the other as the screws 37are turned in one direction or the other. In the closed position of theroof sections 29, the bottom portions of the screws 31 are arranged toseat in semi-circular cutouts 45 formed in upwardly extendingprojections 45 formed on the top edges of the partition walls 36 beneaththe screws 31. Semicircular clamp members 4'! are pivotally supportedupon the projections 46 on the inner sides of the semi-circular cutouts45 by means of pivot pins 48. The clamp members 41 cooperate with thesemi-circular cutouts in suspending the partition walls 36 from thescrews 31 and the adjacent faces of the clamp members 41 and the cutouts45 of the partition walls 36 are formed with screw threads to follow thescrew threads of the screws 31 to move the partition walls 36 as thescrews 31 are turned in one direction or the other.

At their pivoted ends, the clamp members 41 are formed with inwardlyextending slots 49, see Figs. 5 and 14, so that the pivoted ends of theclamp members 41 straddle the top edges of the upwardly extendingprojections 46. When the clamp members 41 are pivoted to the inoperativeposition, illustrated by the dot and dash lines 47' in Fig. 13, thematerial of the clamp members at the inner ends of the slots 49 strikethe material of the partition walls 38 and limit further pivoting inthat direction.

Each partition wall 36 between the upwardly extending projections 46 isformed with a vertical extension 59 formed on opposite sides thereofwith internally threaded inclined bushing 5|. Screws 52 are threadedlyengaged through the bushings and areadapted to'be tightened against thetop face of the clamp members 4! a illustrated at the left side of Fig.A for releasably holding the clamp members 4] their Operative engagedpositions with the screws :31. The screws 52 are inclined toward theelongated opening 3| between the adjacent inner edges of the roofsections 29 and are provided at their top ends with cross pieces 53which may be gripped for turning the screws 52. In the inoperativeposition of the cover 32, ones hand may be inserted into the elongatedopening 3| to grip the cross pieces 53 of the screws 52 for rotating thescrews 52 in one direction or the other for securing the clamp members4'! in their operative positions, shown at the left of Fig. 4, or forfreeing the clamp member 41 to be pivoted to their inoperativepositions, as shown at the right side of Fig. 4. The tops of the clampmembers 41 are provided with upwardly extending arcuate grips 54 whichmay be reached through the elongated opening-3| for pivoting the clampmembers 4! between the operative and inoperative positions shown in Fig.13.

When the clamp members 41 are in their operative positions engaging thescrews 31, the partition walls 36 are raised slightly oil the top faceof the bottom wall 23 of the box car, as shown at the bottom of Fig. 4.When both of the clamp members 41 of any one partition wall 36 arecompletely disengaged from their respective screws 31, the partitionwalls 35 drop downwards slightly until their bottom edges rest on thetop face of the bottom wall 23 disengaging the semi-circular cutouts 45of the projections 46 from the screws 3'! completely disengaging thatpartition wall 36 from the screws, permitting the screws 31 to be turnedin one direction or the other for adjusting the longitudinal position ofthe other partition walls of the group relative to the partition wall 36which is free of the screws 31. However, the distance the partition walldrops when the clamp members 41 are freed is very small, so that toreengage the freed partition wall or walls with the screws 37 it ismerely necessary to pivot the clamp members 47 back to their operativepositions and to tighten the screws 52 against the clamp members 41which will cause them to ride over the tops of the screw 3'1 until theircomplete operative positions are reached in which the free ends of theclamp members 4'! abut the top edges of the projections 46, as shown inFig. 13. In other words, when the partition walls 36 are freed of thescrew 3?, the clamp members 4'! do not drop below the level of thescrews 31, so that the mere act of pivoting the clamp members 41 towardsthe screws 37 will cause the clamp members 41 to partially engage aboutthe tops of the screws.

The present invention also includes novel means for retaining the freebottom ends of the partition walls 36 against swinging while leaving thewalls free to move longitudinally towards the end walls 2| of the boxcar. This means also cooperates with the engagement of the bottom edgesof the partition walls 36 with the top face of the bottom wall 23 inretaining the partition walls 36 in their proper vertical position whendisengaged from the screws 31. This means comprises horizontal bars 55pivotally supported at their ends adjacent the end walls 2| of the boxcar on brackets 56 by means of pivot pins 57, see Fig. 6. The brackets56 are mounted on the inside faces of the side walls 22 of the box car.The free ends of the bars 55 are slidable in hollow support members 58also mounted on the inside faces of the side walls 22 of the box car.The support members 58 .have vertical walls 59 arranged to be engaged bythe free ends of the bars to prevent disengagement of the ends of thebars 55 from the support members 58 while permitting free movement ofthe ends of the bars 55 within the support members.

As shown in Fig. 4, the bars 55 extended horizontally along the sides ofthe partition walls 36 in each group and the bars 55 are formed on theirsides adjacent the partition walls 36 with ratchet teeth 66 arranged topermit free movement in a direction toward the end walls 2| of the boxcar while limiting movement in a direction away from the end walls 2|. Arelatively strong leaf spring 6| is secured to the end of each bar 55adjacent its free end by means of rivets 62. The free ends of the leafsprings 6| bear against the inside faces of the side walls 22 of the boxcar and urge the bars 55 towards the sides of the partition walls 36.When the screws 3? are turned in a direction to move the partition walls36 towards the end walls 2| of the box car, the sides of the partitionwalls 36 merely idle over the ratchet teeth 66- and the bars 55 willpivot about the pins 51 against the holding action of the springs 6|.However, rotation of the screws 31 to move the partition walls 36 in adirection away from the end walls of the box car will be restricted bythe engagement of the partition walls 36 against the right an ular sidesof the ratchet teeth 60.

It is possible to pivot the bars 55 against the holding action of thesprings 6| and hold them in those pivoted positions by inserting smallshims (not shown) between the adjacent faces of the ends of the bars 55and the vertical walls 59 of the support members 56 to free thepartition walls to be moved longitudinally away from the end walls 2| ofthe box car.

When the partition walls 36 are disconnected from the screws 31 andtheir bottom edges rest on the top face of the bottom wall 23 of the boxcar, the engagement of the bars 55 with the sides of the partition walls36 under the influence of the springs 6| will exert a sufficient forceto retain the partition walls 36 in their vertical positionsuntilreengaged with the screws 31.

The side walls 22 of the box car are formed with side openings 63 atlocations between the inner ends of the screws 3'! and more particularlybetween the adjacent faces of the innermost partition walls 36 of eachgroup. These side openings 63 are closed by means of doors 64 slidableon tracks which are T-shaped in cross-section. The back faces of thedoors 64 are formed with complementary T-shaped grooves 66 in which thetracks 65 slidably engage permittingmovement of the doors 64 betweenpositions closing the side openings 63 or leaving the side openings openpermitting the space between the adjacent faces of the innermostpartition walls 36 to be loaded or unloaded.

The lowermost tracks 65 are provided with vertical stop members 61 whichare adapted to be engaged by abutments 68, see Fig. 9, when the doors 64are slid in a direction to close the side openings 63 to preventcomplete disengagement of the doors 64 from the tracks 65. While onlythe bottom tracks 65 are provided with the stop members 61 and thebottom grooves 66 are formed with the abutments 68, this is by way ofillustration only, as the top and bottom tracks can be provided with thestop members 6'! and the top and bottom grooves 66 can be provided withthe abutments 68, if desired.

The adjacent edges of the doors 64, in their closed positions, areadapted to be locked together by a lock not shown, and when lockedtogether the contacting stop members 61 and abutments 68 preventmovement of the doors 64 as a unit in one direction or the otherpermitting persons to gain unauthorized entrance to the box car.

The tracks 65 are of a sufficient length to support their respectivedoors 64 when moved in a direction to open the side openings 63 of thebox car. However, the tracks 65 and grooves 66 are so arranged that whenmovement of the doors 64 in a direction towards the ends of the box caris continued the doors 64 will slide off the outer ends of the tracks65. Door receiving members 69 having open ends I9, see Fig. 6, directedtowards the tracks 65 are provided to slidably receive the doors 64 asthey slide off the ends of the tracks 65. The door receiving members 69are pivotally supported upon the side walls 22,-

at their ends opposite their open ends in by means of hinges H. Hooks 12are pivotally supported upon the side walls 22 of the box car and havetheir free ends releasably engaging holes 13 formed in the top cornersof the door receiving members 69 for holding the door receiving membersin pivoted positions extended parallel along the sides of the box car.

The door receiving members 69 are channelshaped in verticalcross-section permitting the sides of the doors 64 to lie flush againstthe sides of the box car. The top and bottom walls of the door receivingmembers 69 are formed with inwardly extending rails 14 aligned withcomplementary grooves 15 formed in the top and bottom edges of the doors64. When the doors 64 are slid into the door receiving members 69, therails 14 engage the grooves 15 and retain the doors 64 against droppingout of the open sides of the door receiving members 69. When the doors64 have been slid into the door receivin members 69, the hooks 12 can bedisengaged from the holes 13 freeing the door receiving members 69 to bepivoted about their hinges H to move the doors 64 from the sides of thebox car permitting their easy removal from the door receiving members 69and from the box car.

The manner of using the box car constructed in accordance with thepresent invention is as follows:

Let us assume that the box car is empty and completely assembled asshown in Figs. 1 to 3. To fill the box car, the cover 32 is first liftedand pivoted to its inoperative position overlying the roof section 29which carries the pins 34. If it should be necessary to adjust thespacing of the partition walls 36 with relation to each other, theoperator inserts his arm through the elongated opening 3! and turns thescrews 52 in a direction to free the clamp members 41 of the partitionwalls which. are properly positioned and pivots the clamp members 41 totheir inoperative positions, shown by the dot and dash lines 41 in Fig.13, freeing the properly positioned partition walls 36 to drop downwardsuntil their bottom edges rest on the top face of the bottom wall 23 ofthe box car. Then the screws 31 are rotated to adjust the position ofthe remaining partition walls 36 relative to the free partition walls.When the desired adjusted positions are reached, the remaining partitionwalls 36 are disconnected from the screws 31% by turning the respectivescrews 52 in a direction to free the walls 36, to be pivoted to theirinoperative posi-' tions. All of the partition walls 36 will then beresting on the bottom wall 23 of the box car and will be retained intheir vertical positions by the bars 55. The roof sections 29 are nowfree and may be pivoted to their open positions.

In the open positions of the roof sections 29, the spaces between theadjacent faces of the partition walls 36, except the space between theadjacent faces of the innermost partition walls 36 of each group, maythen be loaded by a derrick through the open top of the box car. Whenthose spaces are all filled, the roof sections 29 are pivoted back totheir positions closing the top of the box car and all of the clampmembers 41 are clamped back to their engaged positions with the screws31. The screws 31 may then be rotated to move the partition walls 36towards the end walls 2| of the box car to press against the adjacentsides of the merchandise stored therebetween and hold the merchandiseagainst shifting caused by joltings of the car without holding themerchandise under damaging compression forces. The cover 32 is thenreturned to its normal position closing the elongated opening 3|.

The doors 64 of one of the side openings 63 of the box car are thenopened and the remaining space between the adjacent faces of theinnermost partition walls 36 of each group is filled in the usual mannerand the doors 64 are returned to their positions closing the sideopening 63 and the doors are locked in that closing position.

To empty the box car the above procedure is reversed.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiment of myinvention, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to theprecise construction herein disclosed and the right is reserved to allchanges and modifications coming within the scope of the invention asdefined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by United States Letters Patent is:

l. A railroad box car comprising a car body formed with an open top,pivotally mounted roof sections closing the open top of said car body,said roof sections having their adjacent edges spaced forming anelongated opening the length of said car body, an openable covernormally closing said elongated opening, end aligned pairs of screwsrotatively supported by said roof sections, and groups of partitionwalls in said car body releasably connected with said screws to be movedlongitudinally of said car body and when disengaged from said screwspermitting said roof sections to be pivoted to their open positions.

2. A railroad box car comprising a car body formed with an open top,pivotally mounted roof sections closing the open top of said car body,said roof sections having their adjacent edges spaced forming anelongated opening the length of said car body, an openable covernormally closing said elongated opening, end aligned pairs of screwsrotatively supported by said roof sections, and groups of partitionwalls in said car body releasably connected with said screws to be movedlongitudinally of said car body and when disengaged from said screwspermitting said roof sections to be pivoted to their open positions, andhinges pivotally connecting the outer edges of said roof sections to thesides of said car body forming the pivotal mounting of said roofsections and permitting said roof sections to be pivoted to open clampmembers 41 of the remaining partition 1 positions along the sides ofsaid car body.

atoms:

3. A railroad box car comprising a car body formed with an open top,pivotally mounted roof sections closing the open top of said car body,

said roof sections having their adjacent edges spaced forming anelongated opening the length of said car body, an openable covernormally closing said elongated opening, end aligned pairs of screwsrotatively supported by said roof sections, and groups of partitionwalls in said car body releasably connected with said screws to be movedlongitudinally of said car body and when disen-' gaged from said screwspermitting said roof sections to be pivoted to their open positions,said roof sections being formed along opposite sides of said elongatedopening with upturned edge portions and said cover having downwardly andoutwardly turned edge portions cooperating with said upturned edgeportions in preventing water from entering said elongated opening.

4. A railroad box car comprising a car bodyv :3

formed with an open top, pivotally mounted roof sections closing theopen top of said car body,

said roof sections having their adjacent edges.

spaced forming an elongated opening the length of said car body, anopenable cover normally closing said elongated opening, end alignedpairs of screws rotatively supported by said roof sections, 7

and groups of partition walls in said car body releasably connected withsaid screws to be moved longitudinally of said car body and whendisengaged from said screws permitting said roof sec formed with an opentop, pivotally mounted roof sections closing the open top of said carbody, said roof sections having their adjacent edges body releasablyconnected with said screws to be moved longitudinally of said car bodyand when disengaged from said screws permitting said roof sections to bepivoted to their open positions, said partition walls havingsemi-circular clamp members engaging said screws, means pivotallyconnecting said clamp member to said partition walls to be movable toinoperative posi-- tions along one side of said screws, and meansreachable through said elongated opening in the open position of saidcover for holdin the clamp members in their operative positions formingthe releasable connection of said partition walls with said screws.

7. A railroad box car comprising a car body formed with an open top,pivotally mounted roof sections closing the open top of said car body,said roof sections having their adjacent edges spaced forming anelongated opening the length of said car body, an openable covernormally closing said elongated opening, end aligned pairs of screwsrotatively supported by said roof sections, and groups of partitionwalls in said car body releasably connected with said screws to be movedlongitudinally of said car body and when disengaged from said screwspermitting said roof sections to be pivoted to their open positions,said car body being formed with side openings at points between theadjacent partition walls of the groups of partition walls, and slidablymounted doors for closing said side openings.

8. A railroad box car, comprising a car body having an open top, anopenable roof closing the open top of said car body, said roof includinga pair of longitudinal roof sections each hingedly connected-to theupper portion of the side wall of the car, a plurality of movabletransverse partition walls in said car body, and means for shiftf ingthe partition walls longitudinally of the car spaced forming anelongated opening the length of said car body, an openable covernormally closing said elongated opening, end aligned pairs of screwsrotatively supported by said roof sections,

and groups of partition walls in said ca body 3- releasably connectedwith said screws to be moved longitudinally of said car body and whendisengaged from said screws permitting said roof sections to be pivotedto their open positions, said screws having ends projected from the endsof Pr said roof sections, and hand wheels mounted on the projected endsof said screws, whereby they may be rotated in one direction of theother.

6. A railroad box car comprising a car body formed with an open top,pivotally mounted roof sections closing the open top of said car body,said roof sections having their adjacent edges spaced forming anelongated opening the length of said car body, an openable covernormally closing said elongated opening, end aligned pairs of screwsrotatively supported by said roof sections, and groups of partitionwalls in said car body, said shifting means including a screw extendedlongitudinally of the car body and having an exterior actuator at oneend of the car body, said screw and its actuator being carried by saidroof, said shifting means also includes a clamp members pivotallysecured to each of said partition walls for coaction with said screw andmovable relative to the partition to a position disengaged from saidscrew freeing the roof sections to be raised.

- HENRY BLACK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,071,802 Sweeley et al Feb. 23,1937 2,160,870 Jones June 6, 1939' 2,226,419 Wasberg Dec. 24, 19402,245,812 Osner et a1. June 17, 1941

